Celebrated Documentary Filmmaker D.A. Pennebaker Dead at 94
Written by SOURCE on August 4, 2019
D.A. Pennebaker, the man behind some of the most acclaimed music documentaries, died Thursday night of natural causes, Variety has confirmed. He was 94.
Among Pennebaker’s most popular films were Don’t Look Back, which provided a behind-the-scenes look at Bob Dylan’s 1965 English tour; the David Bowie concert film Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars; and Monterey Pop, which explored the 1967 festival featuring legends like Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. He also directed a number of political films, such as The War Room, an Oscar-nominated documentary about Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign.
Throughout his 60-plus-year career, Pennebaker received a number of awards for his work, including a 2012 honorary Academy Award, which he dedicated to his third wife and fellow filmmaker Chris Hegedus.
“The person that I have to thank the hardest is the love of my life, Chris,” Pennebaker said at the 2012 Governors Awards. “[…] She and I have made a lot of films together […] And When we make films, when shooting them, you’re great friends, because there’s nothing but problems to be solved, so you’re pals. And then you sit down at the editing machine, and it all begins: You get divorced about four times a week.”
He continued: “But you know it’s a process. Even though you’re practically choking each other to death over each editing decision, there’s nothing in the world I love better than doing that with her.”
He is survived by eight children.
Following news of Pennebaker’s death, fans and colleagues took to Twitter to express their condolences and reflect on the filmmaker’s achievements. You can read some of those messages below.
